Food concerns

[emmygirl]

I am looking for something to add to my pup's (6 month old) kibble to get her to eat. She does not seem to want to eat. I have tried pumpkin (did not like it). She will eat green beens (but getting sick of it).

Any other suggestions? Can I give her canned fruit? Applesauce? Did I hear garlic or NO GARLIC???


Also, we are taking lots of obiedence classes and she is getting the good stuff there (you know.. hot dogs, chicken, cheese...). So I am thinking this is probably why she turns her nose up at the kibble. Eventaully I would like her to go dry (helps clean teeth). However, when we have class I do not feed her that night since she is getting the good stuff, but even the next morning she won't eat. She is gaining weight but I do not plan on chicken everynight for dinner and hot dogs for breakfast forever! HELP!

 

[corbinam]

I'm not sure what you could add to the food to get her to eat (especially something healthy)...but will she work for kibble during obedience? We typically use kibble as a reward for agility, and just use cheese/hot dogs/liver for especially "difficult" tasks.

For instance, we use cheez whiz when working weaves and contacts.

Also, how much are you feeding your pup? Bentley was the type who wouldn't eat all of his food and it turns out that we were feeding him too much. He was a little overweight, so we put him on a diet. Now he eats everything in his bowl! Just a thought

Also, garlic is a popular additive for homemade dog treats, so that's okay for them.

 

[missjenneygirl]

There are two things to add to the kibble that we find works for poor eaters. First, I always keep baby food chicken in the pantry. It is the tiny jar.....nothing added. This is excellent to add to rice when you need to bring a dog back from stomach problems. MUCH easier then cooking chicken or hamburger. One tablespoon is all you need as an additive. Next, jar spaghetti sauce. Again one tablespoon added to kibble and they jump for joy. Then, there is the all time "works wonders".......put the dog in a wire crate with the food, and let the other 7 of your shelties loose in the room....the dog in the crate eats very fast, as the others stick their noses through the wire! LOL

 

[BarbV]

There are two things to add to the kibble that we find works for poor eaters. First, I always keep baby food chicken in the pantry. It is the tiny jar.....nothing added. This is excellent to add to rice when you need to bring a dog back from stomach problems. MUCH easier then cooking chicken or hamburger. One tablespoon is all you need as an additive. Next, jar spaghetti sauce. Again one tablespoon added to kibble and they jump for joy. Then, there is the all time "works wonders".......put the dog in a wire crate with the food, and let the other 7 of your shelties loose in the room....the dog in the crate eats very fast, as the others stick their noses through the wire! LOL

Oh, you so nailed it! Bacca is going through his picky phase, and I've noticed that if I take Bacca's bowl and feed Indy a kibble or two out of it in front of Bacca, then all of a sudden Bacca gets REAL interested again in his food!

Also , I've started mixing about 2 tsps of wet food (Merricks - it's really soupy) into the food. It smells yummy but does not soften the kibble too much so I still get the benefit of kibble on their teeth.

I had not thought about spaghetti sauce...but I wonder if there is too much sodium in that. Did you mean plain tomatoe sauce?

 

[missjenneygirl]

Definately not meat sauce. Plain tomato sauce. Yes, it may have salt, but when you need to feed the numbers that I feed, I need them to eat. I don't like any canned dog food, because they really get used to having it, and balk when you stop adding it. I only feed dry kibble with water over it, and served right away. In the summer it makes sure they get hydrated, and in the winter, it helps with their skin and coat, when on their own, they would tend to drink less water. And.......
as a breeder, when we are looking at stud dogs, a big question is "is he an easy keeper". Meaning, you want puppies with vigorous appitites. This last litter drove me crazy with how uninterested they were in food. Luckily, in speaking with all the owners, and watching the puppy I am growing out, their appetites have picked up. I need to have dogs eat when I feed them, no matter where we are.

 

[Caro]

I use plain tomato paste with a bit of water and a little splash of worcester sauce or sprinkle of garlic to mix with my dogs food. I avoid spaghetti sauces as they usually have a fair amount of onion in them, and salt, so they arent great for the dogs.

Pups do go through a picky stage with their food (much like human children) and like human kids still manage to get enough food in to grow.

I give mine canned food - they love it and I don't see a problem with it, it has no more additives than kibble which needs additives to keep it dry and formed (that is not the natural state for meat!). Nowadays tinned food is much higher quality than in the past. Mine still get kibble in the morning (a very small amount) because the additives that keep the kibble firm also help make the stools firm. But they always get moist in the evening (cooked by me or canned).

 

[lotsahair]

Maybe you can try a different brand of dry food? I had a sheltie who would not eat her dry food (Hills Science Diet) no matter how I tried. She just would not eat it, even if I left it out all day for her. Of course, she devoured the raw chicken leg at dinner! I switched the dry to Nature's Variety, and problem solved! She really loved it and ate it eagerly. Now that's the brand I use and trust, and my new dog loves it too! I change around the flavors to give her some variety.

 

[Phebe*DD]

Pups do go through a picky stage with their food (much like human children) ...

When does this happen? I got Phebe when she was about 12 weeks. She's 7 months now and has never even hesitated to down every bit of kibble I give her.

 

[BarbV]

I need to have dogs eat when I feed them, no matter where we are.

I can only imagine how frustrating it would be when you are on the show road and you need the dogs to eat to keep up their energy, and they won't...because their bowl is not in the proper place.

 

[danisgoat]

Maybe you can try a different brand of dry food? I had a sheltie who would not eat her dry food (Hills Science Diet) no matter how I tried. She just would not eat it, even if I left it out all day for her. Of course, she devoured the raw chicken leg at dinner! I switched the dry to Nature's Variety, and problem solved! She really loved it and ate it eagerly. Now that's the brand I use and trust, and my new dog loves it too! I change around the flavors to give her some variety.

This is what I was thinking. Maybe your dog knows something you do not know. Maybe trying a different high quality kibble and see if they like that better. A lot of kibble distributors have the little sample packs of different foods. You can see if they can give you a couple of different types, and feed as treats to see if there is one that your dog prefers.